Navigational Conversations Licensing Program

Click on each tab below to learn what will be covered in each week.

Week OneWeek TwoWeek ThreeWeek FourWeek FiveWeek Six

We start week one with a few exercises to get acquainted. We believe in the value of getting to know the people you will be working with. Our agenda focuses on two important concepts that are pivotal to the program—the Five Functions of Navigational Coaching and the Six Principles of Navigational Coaching. Workshop participants have told us that learning the five functions of coaching has helped them truly understand the role of coaching for the first time. The six principles have also helped many to fully grasp the nature of the coaching process. We believe these foundational principles are much more important than any coaching techniques.

Week two covers three modules starting with the mindset of a coach vs. the mindset of a problem solver. We have observed that when leaders really “get” this concept, their whole relationship to coaching shifts. The first short video clip demonstrates this shift. We follow this module with an exploration of a question we are often asked: “Who are the best people to coach?” The final conversation focuses on a model that summarizes Three Dimensions of Coaching. This model provides an overview of the coaching process and creates a context for the next phase of the program on skills and techniques. As well, it helps the coach understand what is needed to create a successful coaching environment. Weeks one and two are the equivalent of half a day or 25% of the Navigational Coaching program.

The entire session is devoted to exploring The Navigational Coaching Model in depth. This five-step model provides both a road map and a structure for the coaching conversation. We explore each step thoroughly to prepare you to deal with a variety of coaching opportunities. Although this appears to be a simple model (and one that leaders relate to quickly), there is more to it than meets the eye. We spend sufficient time to equip you with all you need to know to teach others. There is a 5×7 card of this model, together with sample questions for each step. These cards are included with the Participant Guidebook as a job aid. The second video shows the five-step model in action.

Two key skills of coaching are explored this week as we take a deeper dive into the concepts of listening and asking questions. We call these two skills The Art of Conscious Listening and The Art of the Question. Our approach to the discussion on listening provokes self-awareness and makes clear connections to the coaching conversation. In Part One of The Art of the Question, we look at the impact of open and closed questions and explore the process of devising more effective coaching questions. These two big topics fill our session this week; and it also represents the end of Day One of the Navigational Coaching workshop.

This week begins with Part Two of the Art of the Question and then moves to The Art of Telling. In Part Two of the Art of the Question, we investigate three different intentions behind asking coaching questions and explore how these intentions shape the structure of a coaching conversation. We then move from questions to The Art of Telling. We believe that telling also belongs inside a coaching conversation. The challenge is to tell in a way that is coach-like. Few organizational leaders have mastered the skill and we are continually asked for guidance and skill development. This week, we explore two forms of telling in Navigational Coaching: providing positive feedback and providing feedback for course correction. You definitely do not want to miss this session; it’s powerful.

This session begins with Part Two of the Art of Telling. We go more deeply into corrective feedback, discussing how to use it as a springboard to a coaching conversation. We then consider the third form of telling in a coaching conversation: Providing Perspective. Finally, this is the session where you get to shine as you bring all your learning together in a review of the entire course content. We also have a little graduation celebration planned as we bring the six-week webinar series to a close and send you on your way to bring Navigational Coaching to your world.

So there you have it: the agenda for the six-week Navigational Conversations Licensing Program.

Where To Next?

Now that you understand how this service works, you may want further information concerning the Navigational Conversations Workshop itself. For full details on that workshop, go to Navigational Conversations Workshop.